October 3, 1914 
LAND AND WATER 
lUP TO INDICATE GESXAK DLBIQIBLB SHEDS. 
THE OBDIXABT SHEDS TOO SMALL FO I ZKPPELISS ABK OF SMALL IMPORTANCE AND ABE DESIOXED FOB SHELTERING " !• ASSET AIS," ETC., 
AUiCKAIT THAT CAN BE DEFLATED ANrWHBEB, AND DO NOT DEPEND ON SHEDS FOB THEIR EFFECTIVE EXISTE.SCE. THE FOLLOWIN'O STATIONS 
HAVE SINCE BEEN ADDED : FUHLSBCTTEL, SCHWIDBBMXJHL, MANZELL. 
Stories of Zeppelins being prepared for coining aerial raids 
on the fleet still continue ; and, judging from correspondence 
which I receive, there is a certain amount of public uneasiness 
as to how Zeppelins can be met. 
The Russians have now on view at Petrograd " the remains 
of a Zeppelin," which is said to have been brought down by rifle 
shot ; but if this be correct, it was a pic« of luck which we can 
hardly expect to see repeated. 
Something considerable can, of course, be done by firc- 
shell from aerial guns, and a naval fleet occupies so large an area 
that the ordinary guns of some ships are likely to reach a Zeppelin, 
unless she is fly\)g at a height which would reduce the chances 
of bomb success to an infinitesimal fraction. The chances of 
correct aim in dropping on moving ships Ls small at the best even 
for low altitudes. And the amount of damage to be done to a 
big ship by bombs is probably not very great. 
There is no doubt, however, that the most serious answer 
and menace to Zeppelins is from the air, whether by way of 
aeroplanes towing grapnels over the envelopes or propcUers, 
dropping inflammatory bombs, or, better, by incidents such as that 
which recently occurred at Diisseldorf. 
" Diisseldorf ' represents the best possible form of 
defensive attack, because, deprived of its shed, a Zeppelin is 
useless. Unfortunately, Germany has an enormous number of 
.sheds (thirty all told) as the accompanying map indicates ; 
atill, the majority are not out of reach of a determined attack, 
such as that delivered by the Naval Flying Corp, on Diisseldorf. 
Here, by a bold drop to an altitude of only 400 feet. Flight 
Lieut. CoUett succeeded in dropping three incendiary bombs on 
the Zeppelin shed there, owned by the " Delag " Company. 
According to German statements, " a few windows were 
broken, but otherwise no damage was done." This may be true, 
or it may not ! We have no means of ascertaining the damage, 
and the Germans, aware of that, would naturally conceal it. 
We may hope that the shed was fired, and that, as reported from 
Switzerland, there was a Zeppelin inside it at the time. But 
this is probably too good to be true. 
The importance of the matter, however, i.s that our aviators 
have miccceded in steering them.selves to the required spot. 
This must be very evident to the Germans ; also tiiat. having 
found one spot, we shall presnntly find others. We may 
confidently e.xpcct Ciuly rcj)etitioiis of tlie Diisseldorf incident, 
and — since the attack on Diisseldorf was undertaken by a naval 
airman — satisfy ourselves that the Navy is taking as few risks aa 
possible in connection with German threats as to what their 
Zeppelins will accomplish against our Dreadnoughts. 
Later news of aerial warfare consists of some very circum- 
stantial non-oflScial stories as to another Zeppelin brought down 
by Russian gun fire. As remarked a week or two ago, more 
Zeppelins than Germany ever built have already been destroyed 
on paper ! The story alluded to may be a re-hash of the 
Zeppelin taken to Petrograd. On the other hand, the details 
about its being injured by two shots and brought down by a 
third are far more suggestive of a Parseval as the victim. 
If a shell does chance to burst inside it — a not very likely 
contingency — it would certainly be " all up " with any non- 
rigid dirigible. But the odds against any such contingency are 
heavy. A couple of holes in the dirigible is the best that any 
non-special gun firing at one and hitting it can normally expect. 
Now the entry hole in a gas bag is not going to do much, for 
hj'drogen does not escape downwards. Consequently, only the 
exit hole matters. Out of that exit hole the hydrogen will 
assuredly escaj)e, but it will take its time in escaping. 
A variant of the stor}' described three motors as having been 
Lit, and finally a Lit on the fourth. Putting aside the fact that 
no Zeppelin has more than three motors, the story is technically 
absurd. TLe more reasonable LypotLesis is that a non-rigid was 
brought down owing to the leakage caused by three holes in her. 
Also the number of captured reported (eight) is the crew of a 
Parseval. A Zeppelin carries about thirty men as crew. The 
probability is that everything in the airship line is described as 
" Zeppelin " — this word being used as a generic term. Occa- 
rionally it appears to be a news generic for aeroplanes also ! 
Licidentally, this vague idea as to what a Zeppelin is appeals 
to be shared by quite a number of people who should know better. 
For example, a correspondent tells me of an engineer friend of 
Lis who asserts that he could build a Zeppelin shed (something 
approacLing Charing Cross Station in dimen.sions in six weeks, 
and pull it down and re-erect it in one week ! This would be a 
fair record for an ordinary aeroplane hangar. 
The Zeppelin danger is real enough, as it is, without need of 
the accompaniment of any unreasoning panic. 
The latest available list of German dirigible sheds is given 
on the plan above. Unless otherwise stated, the above are 
military sheds. All private ones capable of liolding Zeppelins 
are subsidised. 
]o» 
